Quarantine and Isolation
Isolation and quarantine help protect the public by preventing exposure to people who have or may have a contagious disease.
- Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.
- Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.
Twenty U.S. Quarantine Stations, located at ports of entry and land border crossings, use these public health practices as part of a comprehensive Quarantine System that serves to limit the introduction of infectious diseases into the United States and to prevent their spread.
Learn more about how CDC is Protecting America's Health at U.S. Ports of Entry.
New! Federal Register Notice: Criteria for Recommending Federal Travel Restrictions for Public Health Purposes, Including for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers
On March 27, 2015, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the CDC published a Notice in the Federal Register titled Federal Register Notice: Criteria for Recommending Federal Travel Restrictions for Public Health Purposes, Including for Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers. This Notice was posted to describe the tools the federal government has to ensure that people with serious contagious diseases that pose a public health threat do not board commercial flights or enter into the United States without a public health evaluation. It also lists the criteria that CDC uses in deciding whether to recommend using such tools.
New! Issuance and Enforcement Guidance for Dog Confinement Agreements
On July 10, 2014, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted guidance on the Issuance and Enforcement Guidance for Dog Confinement Agreements. This guidance describes the factors that HHS/CDC will consider in deciding whether to issue a dog confinement agreement or deny entry of a dog being imported into the United States that has not been adequately vaccinated against rabies. Dog confinement agreements are covered under 42 CFR 71.51. This guidance became effective on August 11, 2014 (30 days after publication).
For the Travel Industry
Illness and death reporting protocols, disinsection, disease- specific information...
Meet the Quarantine Stations
U.S. Quarantine Stations are located at 20 ports of entry and land-border crossings where international travelers arrive. They are staffed with quarantine medical and public health officers from CDC. These health officers decide whether ill persons can enter the United States and what measures should be taken to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
United States Quarantine Stations
...serve to limit the introduction of infectious diseases into the United States and to prevent their spread.
- Page last reviewed: January 15, 2014
- Page last updated: March 20, 2015
- Content source: